PR-663: 2013 Tall Fescue and Bromegrass Report

R E S E A R C H

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONUNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT, LEXINGTON, KY, 40546

University of Kentucky • Lexington, Kentucky 40546

PR-663

Table 1. Temperature and rainfall at Lexington, Kentucky, in 2011, 2012, and 2013.2011 2012 20132

Temp Rainfall Temp Rainfall Temp Rainfall°F DEP1 IN DEP °F DEP IN DEP °F DEP IN DEP

JAN 29 -2 2.10 -0.76 38 +7 4.80 +1.94 38 +7 4.50 +1.64FEB 39 +4 6.34 +3.13 40 +5 5.39 +2.18 36 +1 1.78 -1.43MAR 47 +3 4.76 +0.36 56 +12 5.64 +1.24 39 -5 5.47 +1.07APR 58 +3 12.36 +8.48 56 +1 3.26 -0.62 55 0 4.46 +0.58MAY 64 0 6.72 +2.25 69 +5 4.02 -0.45 65 +1 5.23 +.076JUN 74 +2 2.61 -1.05 73 +1 2.42 -1.24 72 0 7.32 +3.66JUL 80 +4 6.29 1.29 81 +5 2.50 -2.50 72 -4 9.33 +4.33AUG 75 0 2.89 -1.04 75 0 1.68 -2.25 72 -3 3.68 -0.25SEP 66 -2 5.52 +2.32 67 -1 6.40 +3.20 67 -1 2.21 -0.99OCT 55 -2 4.10 +1.53 55 -2 2.00 -0.57 55 -2 8.10 +5.53NOV 50 +5 9.53 +6.14 43 -2 1.81 -0.65DEC 41 +5 5.58 +1.60 42 +6 9.57 +4.94Total 68.80 +24.25 49.49 +4.94 52.08 +14.90

1 DEP is departure from the long-term average.2 2013 data is for the ten months through October.

Table 2. Temperature and rainfall at Princeton, Kentucky, in 2010, 2011, and 2012.2011 2012 20132


JAN 32 -2 2.35 -1.45 40 +6 3.01 -0.79 38 +4 6.31 +2.51FEB 40 +2 5.71 +1.28 54 +6 1.73 -2.70 39 +1 3.09 -1.34MAR 50 +3 5.54 +0.60 60 +13 3.27 -1.67 42 -5 4.34 -0.60APR 61 +2 16.15 +11.35 60 +1 0.62 -4.18 57 -2 5.72 +0.92MAY 66 -1 7.22 +2.26 71 +4 1.36 -3.60 66 -1 4.26 -0.70JUN 77 +2 4.60 +0.75 74 -5 2.38 -1.47 74 -1 7.55 +3.70JUL 81 +3 2.98 -1.31 83 +5 1.40 -2.89 75 -3 4.44 +0.15AUG 77 0 3.95 -0.06 77 0 4.27 +0.26 75 -2 5.59 +1.58SEP 68 -3 3.86 +0.53 69 -2 5.45 +1.82 71 0 5.37 +2.04OCT 57 -2 1.35 -1.70 57 -2 2.94 -0.11 59 0 4.04 +0.99NOV 51 +4 9.12 +4.49 45 -2 2.11 -2.52DEC 42 +3 6.13 +1.09 45 +6 4.77 -0.27Total 68.96 +17.83 33.01 -18.12 50.71 +9.25


Table 3. Temperature and rainfall at Quicksand, Kentucky, in 2011, 2012, and 2013.2011 2012 20132


JAN 32 +1 2.63 -0.66 40 +9 4.60 +1.31 38 +7 5.61 +2.37FEB 42 +9 3.94 +0.34 42 +9 3.49 -0.16 38 +5 1.81 -1.79MAR 48 +7 4.66 +0.32 57 +16 3.34 -1.40 40 -1 4.55 +0.21APR 60 +7 11.65 +7.55 56 +3 2.02 -2.08 56 +3 3.55 -0.55MAY 65 +3 6.49 +2.01 69 +7 4.29 -0.19 64 +2 3.98 -0.50JUN 73 +3 3.73 -0.09 71 +1 0.82 -3.00 73 +3 6.44 +2.62JUL 78 +4 4.92 -0.33 78 +4 5.20 +0.45 75 +1 5.24 -0.01AUG 75 +2 4.09 +0.08 74 +1 3.82 -0.19 73 0 5.85 +1.84SEP 67 +1 3.52 0 67 +1 10.05 +6.53 68 +2 1.71 -1.81OCT 55 +1 4.16 +1.25 55 +1 4.21 +1.30 58 +4 2.07 -0.84NOV 50 +8 5.15 +1.27 44 +2 0.77 -3.11DEC 42 +9 4.25 +0.11 44 +11 5.71 +1.57Total 59.19 +11.85 48.77 +1.43 40.81 +1.49


2013 Tall Fescue and Bromegrass ReportG.L. Olson, S.R. Smith, T.D. Phillips, G.D. Lacefield, and D.C. Ditsch, Plant and Soil Sciences

Introduction Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a productive, well-adapted, persistent, soil-conserving, cool-season grass grown on approximately 5½ million acres in Kentucky. This grass, used for both hay and pasture, is the forage base of most of Kentucky’s livestock enterprises, par-ticularly beef cattle. Much of the tall fescue in Kentucky is infected with an internal fungus (en-dophyte) that produces ergot alkaloids and results in decreased weight gains in growing ruminants and lower pregnancy rates in breeding stock, especially in hot weather. Varieties are now available that are free of this fungal endophyte or infected with a nontoxic endophyte. Va-rieties in the latter group are also referred to as “novel” or “friendly” endophyte vari-eties, because their endophyte improves stand survival without creating animal production problems. Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) is a perennial pasture and hay grass native of Europe. It has creeping under-ground stems or rootstocks from which the leafy stems arise. Smooth bromegrass is palatable to all classes of livestock, from emergence to the heading stage. Meadow bromegrass (Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult) is a native of southeastern Europe and the adjacent Near East. It re-sembles smooth bromegrass but has only short rhizomes or none at all. Meadow bromegrass is densely tufted and has a similar growth habit to tall fescue. Hy-brid bromegrasses are a cross between smooth and meadow bromegrasses. Alaska bromegrass (Bromus sitchensis), also called Sitka bromegrass, is a long-lived perennial bunchgrass that will ac-tively grow at moderate rates during the spring and summer season. It does not spread by rhizomes and is more suited to environments with harsh winters.

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Table 4. Descriptive scheme for the stages of development in perennial forage grasses.Code Description Remarks

Leaf development11 First leaf unfolded Applicable to regrowth of

established (plants) and to primary growth of seedlings.

12 2 leaves unfolded Further subdivision by means of leaf development index (see text).

13 3 leaves unfolded• • • • • •

19 9 or more leaves unfoldedSheath elongation

20 No elongated sheath Denotes first phase of new spring growth after overwintering. This character is used instead of tillering which is difficult to record in established stands.

21 1 elongated sheath22 2 elongated sheaths23 3 elongated sheaths• • • • • •

29 9 or more elongated sheathsTillering (alternative to sheath elongation)

21 Main shoot only Applicable to primary growth of seedlingsor to single tiller transplants.

22 Main shoot and 1 tiller23 Main shoot and 2 tillers24 Main shoot and 3 tillers• • • • • •

29 Main shoot and 9 or more tillersStem elongation

31 First node palpable More precisely an accumulation of nodes. Fertile and sterile tillers distinguishable.

32 Second node palpable33 Third node palpable34 Fourth node palpable35 Fifth node palpable37 Flag leaf just visible39 Flag leaf ligule/collar just visible

Booting45 Boot swollen

Inflorescence emergence50 Upper 1 to 2 cm of inflorescence visible52 1/4 of inflorescence emerged54 1/2 of inflorescence emerged56 3/4 of inflorescence emerged58 Base of inflorescence just visible

Anthesis60 Preanthesis Inflorescence-bearing

internode is visible. No anthers are visible.

62 Beginning of anthesis First anthers appear.64 Maximum anthesis Maximum pollen shedding.66 End of anthesis No more pollen shedding.

Seed ripening75 Endosperm milky Inflorescence green85 Endosperm soft doughy No seeds loosening when

inflorescence is hit on palm.87 Endosperm hard doughy Inflorescence losing

chlorophyll; a few seeds loosening when inflorescence hit on palm

91 Endosperm hard Inflorescence-bearing internode losing chlorophyll; seeds loosening in quantitywhen inflorescence hit on palm.

93 Endosperm hard and dry Final stage of seed development; most seeds shed.

Smith, J. Allan, and Virgil W. Hayes. 1981. p. 416-418. 14th International Grasslands Conference Proc. 1981. June 14-24, 1981, Lexington, Kentucky.

Prairie bromegrass (Bromus wildenowii) is a tall, cool-season, leafy short-lived, perennial, deep-rooted bunchgrass. It was introduced from South America. Seedheads are produced throughout the growing season, and to maintain productive stands for several years, it is necessary to manage at least one growth cycle each year for seed production and natural reseeding. Some prairie bromegrasses are suscep-tible to winterkill. Mountain bromegrass (Bromus margin-atus) is native to North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat. It is a short-lived, perennial, cool-season, sod-forming grass. Leafy growth and a deep, well- branched root system give protection on erodible slopes. It is similar to California bromegrass (Bromus carinatus), and some consider them to be synonymous. All bromegrasses have several advantages over tall fes-cue, including retaining quality as they mature and better growth during dry weather, but they are generally less well adapted in Kentucky. This report provides current yield data on tall fescue varieties and similar grass species in trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting tall fescue varieties. Tables 15 and 17 show a summary of all tall fescue and bromegrass varieties tested in Kentucky for the past 10-plus years. The UK Forage Extension Web site at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage contains electronic versions of all forage variety testing reports from Kentucky and surrounding states and a large number of other forage publications.

Important Selection Considerations Local adaptation and seasonal yield. Before purchasing tall fescue seed, make sure that the variety is adapted to Ken-tucky, as indicated by good performance across years and locations in replicated yield trials such as those presented in this publication. Choose high-yielding persistent varieties and varieties that are productive during the desired season of use. Tall fescues are often classified as either “Mediterranean” or “Continental” types according to the area from which the parental material for the variety originated. In general, the Mediterranean types (e.g., Cajun and Fawn) are more productive in the fall and winter than the Continental types (such as Kentucky 31). Although they mature earlier in the spring, the Mediterranean types become dormant and non-productive during the summer in Kentucky and are more susceptible than Continental varieties to leaf diseases such as helminthsporium and rhizoctonia. Therefore, Mediter-ranean varieties are less preferred for use in Kentucky than Continental types. Because Mediterranean varieties mature earlier in the spring, first-cutting yields are generally higher when the two types are harvested at the same time. How-ever, the Continental types produce more in the summer, allowing for extended grazing. Endophyte level. Seed with infection levels of less than 5 percent is regarded as endophyte-free. A statement to that effect will be displayed prominently on a green tag attached to the seed bag. If no tag is present, assume the seed is

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Table 5. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue varietiessown September 6, 2010, at Lexington, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Oct 26, 2010

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2011 2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013

3-yearTotal

May 9

Apr 25

May 22

Oct 26

Mar 16

Nov 7

Mar 21

Oct 23

Mar 22

Oct 21 Total Total

May 23

Jun 25

Aug 5

Oct 21 Total

KY31-3 3.3 56.0 46.8 60.0 97 97 98 99 98 97 97 4.74 2.49 2.66 0.85 1.02 1.65 6.17 13.40*KYFA0701 3.3 56.0 49.3 60.0 98 99 100 100 100 99 99 5.05 2.44 2.47 0.73 0.98 1.56 5.74 13.23*KYFA9732/E5 3.4 54.5 48.5 59.5 100 100 99 100 100 99 98 5.11 2.61 2.60 0.66 0.85 1.35 5.46 13.18*KYFA9908/E1 3.0 52.0 45.0 58.0 100 97 97 97 97 97 97 5.22 2.30 2.37 0.65 0.86 1.53 5.41 12.92*KYFA9908/E4 2.6 54.5 45.0 57.0 99 97 96 97 96 96 96 4.99 2.22 2.53 0.77 0.95 1.41 5.66 12.87*KYFA9913EF 2.8 56.0 50.3 61.0 99 99 99 98 98 98 98 4.88 2.11 2.43 0.78 0.99 1.63 5.83 12.82*KYFA0601 2.9 56.0 50.8 61.5 98 99 99 99 99 99 99 4.89 2.42 2.37 0.69 0.99 1.44 5.49 12.79*AgR1521 2.1 55.5 52.0 62.0 94 95 97 97 98 98 98 4.32 2.49 2.93 0.67 0.99 1.36 5.95 12.75*KYFA9908/E3 2.8 53.5 46.8 57.5 98 96 99 96 96 95 96 5.14 2.25 2.54 0.73 0.77 1.29 5.33 12.72*KYFA9908/E5 2.3 54.0 48.0 60.0 98 88 94 97 96 96 96 4.60 2.50 2.73 0.71 0.73 1.42 5.60 12.70*AgR1502 2.3 56.0 53.0 61.0 97 95 97 97 98 98 98 4.61 2.44 2.47 0.71 0.85 1.56 5.59 12.64*KYFA9913/E5 3.0 54.5 46.3 59.0 97 95 97 97 98 97 98 4.67 2.38 2.49 0.66 0.97 1.47 5.59 12.64*KYFA9732EF 2.5 54.5 49.3 59.5 99 95 96 95 96 95 95 5.35 1.98 2.42 0.65 0.78 1.36 5.21 12.54*KYFA9732/E1 3.6 54.0 45.0 58.5 100 98 99 99 98 97 96 4.97 2.18 2.30 0.60 0.89 1.55 5.34 12.48*KYFA9905/E5 3.0 54.0 46.3 59.0 100 99 100 100 99 99 99 4.62 2.27 2.42 0.64 0.92 1.55 5.53 12.42*KYFA9905EF 3.0 55.0 45.0 59.5 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 4.76 2.14 2.25 0.65 0.87 1.50 5.27 12.18*KY31+3 2.9 54.0 45.0 61.0 98 95 96 98 99 99 98 4.48 2.28 2.20 0.76 0.90 1.43 5.29 12.05*KYFA9905/E2 3.9 54.5 46.8 58.0 98 100 100 100 99 99 99 4.81 2.17 2.37 0.54 0.81 1.34 5.06 12.04*KYFA9732/E2 3.0 54.0 48.0 58.0 99 97 98 98 98 96 97 4.87 2.01 2.14 0.63 0.86 1.43 5.07 11.94*KYFA9913/E1 3.3 53.5 48.0 60.0 97 95 97 97 96 96 97 4.68 2.05 2.43 0.58 0.87 1.28 5.15 11.89*KYFA9905/E1 2.9 53.5 46.3 59.0 98 99 100 100 99 99 100 4.61 1.96 2.30 0.61 0.93 1.44 5.28 11.84*KYFA9908EF 3.5 54.0 48.0 59.0 99 97 96 96 97 96 97 4.76 2.12 2.02 0.60 0.91 1.38 4.90 11.79KYFA9913/E2 2.4 54.0 51.5 59.5 97 96 97 97 98 98 98 4.73 2.24 2.30 0.50 0.77 1.21 4.78 11.75KYFA0901 2.9 56.0 53.5 61.5 98 95 96 96 96 95 95 4.39 1.98 2.48 0.65 0.71 1.29 5.13 11.50

Mean 2.9 54.6 48.1 59.5 98 96 97 98 98 97 97 4.80 2.25 2.43 0.67 0.88 1.44 5.41 12.46CV,% 25.2 1.8 5.5 3.0 2 5 3 2 2 2 2 10.63 10.68 14.71 20.77 16.55 16.03 12.16 8.99LSD,0.05 1.0 1.4 3.7 2.5 3 7 4 3 3 3 3 0.72 0.34 0.50 0.20 0.21 0.32 0.93 1.58

1 Vigor score based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth.2 Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 = complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 =

beginning of pollen shed. See Table 4 for complete scale.3 KY31- is the variety KY31 from which the toxic endophyte has been removed. KY31+ contains the toxic endophyte. AgR1502 and AgR1521 contain a non-toxic

endophyte. E1 through E5 are non-toxic endophytes. The other varieties do not contain an endophyte.*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

infected with the toxic endophyte. Sev-eral varieties, both with and without the endophyte, are adapted for use in Ken-tucky. With the new “novel endophyte” tall fescues, the seed tag should specify the infection level. Also, seed of these varieties should be handled carefully to preserve this infection, which means keeping seed cool and planting as soon as possible. “Novel endophyte” varieties need a high infection level to improve stand survival. Seed quality. Buy premium-quality seed that is high in germination and purity levels and free from weed seed. Buy certified seed of improved variet-ies. An improved variety is one that has performed well in independent trials. The label also includes the test date (which must be within the previous nine months), the level of germination, and

the amount of other crop and weed seed. Order seed well in advance of planting time to assure that it will be available when needed.

Description of the Tests Data from nine studies are reported. Tall fescue varieties were sown at Lex-ington (2010, 2011 and 2012), Princeton (2010 and 2012) and Quicksand (2010). The bromegrass trials were sown in Lexington in 2010 and 2012. The soils at Lexington (Maury), Princeton (Crider) and Quicksand (Nolin) are well-drained silt loams. They are well suited for tall fescue and bromegrass production. Seedings were made at the rate of 25 pounds per acre for tall fescue and 20 pounds per acre for bromegrass into a prepared seedbed with a disk drill. Plots were 5 feet by 20 feet in a randomized

complete block design with four replica-tions with a harvested plot area of 5 feet by 15 feet. Nitrogen was topdressed at 60 pounds per acre of actual nitrogen in March, after the first cutting, and again in late summer, for a total of 180 pounds per acre over the season. The tests were harvested using a sickle-type forage plot harvester to simulate a spring cut hay/summer grazing/fall stockpile management system. The first cutting was harvested when all tall fescue and bromegrass varieties had reached at least the boot stage. Fresh weight samples were taken at each harvest to calculate dry matter production. Management practices for these tests regarding es-tablishment, fertility, weed control, and harvest timing were in accordance with University of Kentucky recommenda-tions.

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Table 6. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue varieties sown September 16, 2010, at Princeton, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Nov 19, 2010

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013Apr 18

May 14

Nov 19

Apr 8

Oct 24

Mar 14

Oct 29

Mar 19

Oct 25 Total Total

May 14

Jun 19

Aug 14

Oct 25 Total

3-year Total

Commercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseKY31+3 4.3 46.0 54.5 100 100 100 100 100 98 98 2.60 2.26 2.05 1.60 0.82 1.59 6.05 10.92*Jesup EF 3.5 55.0 56.5 100 100 100 100 98 98 97 2.42 2.13 1.99 1.47 0.73 1.30 5.49 10.04*Cajun II 3.5 54.0 57.0 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 2.34 2.21 1.94 1.43 0.76 1.15 5.27 9.82Bronson 3.6 52.5 56.0 100 100 100 100 100 98 98 2.03 2.11 2.13 1.38 0.88 1.26 5.64 9.78Cowgirl 3.9 52.5 57.0 100 100 100 100 100 99 99 2.15 1.97 1.98 1.46 0.79 1.38 5.62 9.74JesupMaxQ 3.4 52.5 57.0 100 100 100 100 100 99 99 2.26 2.05 1.90 1.41 0.81 1.27 5.39 9.70Goliath 3.3 52.0 56.3 100 100 100 100 99 98 99 2.18 2.10 1.81 1.47 0.77 1.32 5.37 9.65BarOptimaPLUS E34 2.6 46.0 53.0 100 100 100 98 95 94 94 2.10 1.99 1.83 1.47 0.78 1.46 5.53 9.62Select 2.6 51.3 56.5 100 100 100 100 99 98 97 2.08 1.97 2.00 1.45 0.82 1.28 5.55 9.59Kentucky 32 3.4 48.3 56.0 100 100 100 100 100 98 98 2.31 1.80 1.74 1.40 0.74 1.12 5.00 9.10BarElite 3.3 39.0 52.5 100 100 99 98 97 95 96 1.72 1.85 1.88 1.41 0.80 1.27 5.35 8.92Experimental VarietiesTF 0402 4.3 50.0 56.5 100 100 100 100 100 99 99 2.58 2.09 1.99 1.55 0.82 1.43 5.79 10.46*RAD-ERF61 4.0 53.0 56.0 100 100 100 100 97 97 97 2.48 2.15 1.93 1.56 0.76 1.36 5.62 10.26*RAD-ERF62 4.0 55.0 57.0 100 100 100 100 98 97 97 2.47 2.16 1.98 1.52 0.71 1.21 5.42 10.05*KY31-3 3.5 50.3 56.5 100 100 100 100 99 99 99 2.36 2.14 1.87 1.54 0.68 1.26 5.35 9.85

Mean 3.5 50.5 55.9 100 100 100 100 99 98 98 2.27 2.07 1.93 1.47 0.78 1.31 5.50 9.83CV,% 20.4 5.7 1.8 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 11.90 7.94 11.05 7.78 17.16 16.12 8.43 6.84LSD,0.05 1.0 4.1 1.4 0 1 1 1 1 3 3 0.39 0.23 0.30 0.16 0.19 0.30 0.66 0.96


beginning of pollen shed. See Table 4 for complete scale.3 ”+” indicates variety is endophyte infected; “-” indicates variety is endophyte free.*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

Table 7, Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue varieties sown September 16, 2010, at Princeton, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Nov 19, 2010

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013

3-yearTotal

Apr 18

May 14

Nov 19

Apr 8

Oct 24

Mar 14

Oct 29

Mar 19

Oct 25 Total Total

May 14

Jun 19

Aug 14

Oct 25 Total

KY31+3 4.1 44.8 55.3 100 100 100 100 100 99 99 2.78 1.94 2.06 1.50 0.59 1.11 5.26 9.99*KYFA9732/E5 3.6 46.3 55.5 100 99 100 100 100 100 100 2.64 2.11 2.17 1.22 0.57 1.01 4.97 9.72*KYFA9908/E3 3.5 47.5 55.0 100 100 100 100 97 95 95 2.58 1.93 1.94 1.34 0.69 1.05 5.03 9.54*KYFA9905/E5 4.1 50.0 55.8 100 100 100 100 98 98 97 2.63 1.69 2.00 1.36 0.58 1.11 5.05 9.37*KYFA0701 3.8 49.8 56.3 100 100 100 100 99 96 96 2.64 1.82 2.06 1.24 0.59 0.94 4.82 9.28*AgR1502 2.6 51.0 55.0 100 98 100 99 99 96 97 2.38 1.81 2.26 1.33 0.59 0.84 5.02 9.21*KY31-3 3.5 48.8 56.3 100 100 100 100 100 100 99 2.46 1.86 2.11 1.19 0.55 1.00 4.84 9.16*KYFA9908/E4 3.6 48.0 55.3 100 100 100 100 98 97 96 2.34 1.90 2.01 1.39 0.63 0.87 4.89 9.13KYFA9908/E5 3.5 46.3 55.5 100 100 100 100 100 99 98 2.49 1.90 1.91 1.28 0.55 0.98 4.73 9.12KYFA9732EF 3.9 46.3 54.8 100 100 100 100 98 98 98 2.42 1.75 2.13 1.29 0.55 0.96 4.93 9.10AgR1521 2.8 51.0 56.5 100 99 100 100 100 96 97 2.32 1.84 2.20 1.28 0.60 0.80 4.89 9.04KYFA9913/E2 2.9 46.8 56.3 100 99 100 100 99 99 98 2.42 1.84 2.12 1.23 0.52 0.90 4.78 9.04KYFA9913EF 3.0 51.0 56.5 100 100 100 99 97 97 96 2.33 1.78 2.19 1.28 0.57 0.83 4.87 8.97KYFA9908EF 3.1 48.5 55.3 100 98 100 100 96 93 95 2.42 1.77 2.14 1.30 0.49 0.81 4.73 8.93KYFA9913/E5 2.5 49.3 55.0 100 99 100 100 99 99 99 2.46 1.89 1.90 1.25 0.59 0.82 4.57 8.92KYFA9908/E1 4.1 42.8 54.0 100 100 100 99 97 95 96 2.47 1.74 1.74 1.31 0.70 0.94 4.68 8.89KYFA0601 4.1 50.3 56.5 100 100 100 100 99 99 99 2.20 1.76 2.20 1.15 0.59 0.99 4.93 8.89KYFA9905EF 3.6 49.3 55.5 100 100 100 100 98 97 97 2.22 1.55 2.25 1.37 0.55 0.88 5.05 8.83KYFA9905/E1 3.9 46.3 55.8 100 98 100 100 100 99 98 2.25 1.69 2.19 1.24 0.55 0.88 4.86 8.80KYFA9732/E1 3.3 46.3 54.8 100 100 100 100 97 95 94 2.42 1.87 1.97 1.30 0.48 0.71 4.46 8.75KYFA9732/E2 4.1 43.5 54.5 100 99 100 100 94 92 92 2.44 1.79 1.77 1.29 0.50 0.86 4.41 8.64KYFA0901 3.5 50.8 57.0 100 100 100 100 98 96 96 2.01 1.79 2.22 1.18 0.52 0.88 4.81 8.61KYFA9905/E2 3.8 47.5 55.3 100 100 100 100 99 99 99 2.39 1.61 1.94 1.17 0.55 0.86 4.52 8.52KYFA9913/E1 3.0 47.5 55.3 100 97 98 98 100 98 98 2.26 1.91 1.77 1.29 0.53 0.72 4.31 8.48

Mean 3.5 47.9 55.5 100 99 100 100 98 97 97 2.42 1.81 2.05 1.28 0.57 0.91 4.81 9.04CV,% 21.0 5.4 1.8 0 1 1 1 3 3 3 12.69 10.09 10.82 13.12 18.61 13.18 7.68 6.51LSD,0.05 1.0 3.7 1.4 0 2 1 1 4 4 4 0.43 0.26 0.31 0.24 0.15 0.17 0.52 0.83



endophyte. E1 through E5 are non-toxic endophytes. The other varieties do not contain an endophyte.

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Results and Discussion Weather data for Lexington, Princ-eton and Quicksand are presented in tables 1, 2 and 3. Ratings for maturity (see Table 4 for maturity scale), stand, and dry matter yields (tons/A) are reported in tables 5 through 13. Yields are given by cutting date for 2013 and as total annual produc-tion. Stated yields are adjusted for percent weeds, therefore the tonnage given is for crop only. Varieties are listed by total yield in descending order. Experimental varieties are listed separately at the bot-tom of the tables. Statistical analyses were performed on all data to determine if the apparent differences are truly due to varietal dif-ferences or just to chance. In the tables, varieties that are not significantly differ-ent from the top variety in the column for that characteristic are marked with one asterisk (*). To determine if two varieties

are truly different, compare the differ-ence between them and the LSD (Least Significant Difference) at the bottom of the column. If the difference is equal to or greater than the LSD, the varieties are truly different when grown under the conditions at the given locations. The Co-efficient of Variation (CV) is a measure of the variability of the data and is included for each column of means. Low variabil-ity is desirable, and increased variability within a study results in higher CVs and larger LSDs. Tables 14 and 16 summarize infor-mation about distributors, and yield performance across locations for all varieties currently included in tests discussed in this report. Varieties are listed in alphabetical order by species, with the experimental varieties at the bottom. Remember that experimental varieties are not available for farm use; commercial varieties can be purchased from agricultural distributors. In tables

14 and 16, an open block indicates that the variety was not in that particular test (labeled at the top of the column); an “x” in the block means that the variety was in the test but yielded significantly less than the top-yielding variety. A single asterisk (*) means that the variety was not sig-nificantly different from the top variety based on the 0.05 LSD. It is best to choose a variety that has performed well over several years and locations. Remember to consider the relative spring maturity and the distribution of yield across the grow-ing season when evaluating productivity of tall fescue and bromegrass varieties (tables 5 through 13). Tables 15 and 17 are summaries of yield data from 1999 to 2012 of com-mercial varieties that have been entered in the Kentucky trials. The data is listed as a percentage of the mean of the com-mercial varieties entered in each specific trial. In other words, the mean for each trial is 100 percent—varieties with per-

Table 8. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue varieties sown September 24, 2010, at Quicksand, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Nov 11, 2010

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2011 2010 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 3-year

TotalMay 13 Nov 11 Mar 29 Nov 8 Mar 20 Nov 1 Mar 15 Oct 3 Total Total May 14 Aug 16 Oct 8 TotalKY31+3 3.1 53.3 100 99 100 100 100 100 100 5.31 4.96 2.17 1.62 1.57 5.37 15.64*AgR1502 2.4 58.0 100 97 99 99 99 98 98 4.53 4.67 2.51 1.45 1.35 5.30 14.50*AgR1521 1.5 53.5 99 96 99 100 100 99 99 4.31 4.34 2.41 1.10 1.42 4.94 13.59*KYFA9905/E5 3.1 54.5 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4.56 4.64 1.83 1.24 1.29 4.35 13.56*KYFA9732/E5 3.5 57.0 100 98 100 100 100 100 100 4.83 4.02 2.04 1.33 1.25 4.62 13.48*KYFA0601 3.1 58.5 100 99 100 100 100 100 100 4.43 4.38 1.97 1.21 1.28 4.47 13.27*KYFA9913/E5 2.8 56.0 99 95 98 96 97 97 97 4.46 4.05 1.97 1.43 1.26 4.66 13.17*KYFA9908EF 2.8 52.3 100 96 96 97 97 96 96 4.72 3.76 1.88 1.35 1.41 4.63 13.11*KY31-3 3.5 54.5 100 99 98 99 100 100 100 4.56 4.32 1.91 1.19 1.11 4.21 13.09*KYFA9905EF 3.1 55.0 100 99 100 99 99 98 98 5.12 3.75 1.67 1.16 1.13 3.95 12.83*KYFA9913/E2 2.8 57.5 100 96 95 95 95 92 92 4.56 3.80 1.73 1.31 1.15 4.19 12.54KYFA9908/E4 2.9 53.8 100 96 98 98 99 97 97 4.49 3.84 1.77 1.21 1.19 4.17 12.50KYFA0701 2.8 56.5 100 98 100 100 100 100 100 4.88 3.65 1.87 1.00 1.08 3.96 12.48KYFA9908/E5 2.6 53.8 100 97 99 99 99 98 98 4.29 3.99 1.95 1.16 1.07 4.18 12.46KYFA9908/E3 2.5 55.5 100 95 95 95 96 94 94 3.94 3.78 1.93 1.48 1.24 4.64 12.37KYFA9913EF 2.8 57.5 99 93 96 97 98 98 98 4.25 3.76 1.78 1.36 1.18 4.31 12.32KYFA9732/E2 2.8 56.5 100 98 99 98 98 95 95 4.54 3.86 1.68 1.18 1.04 3.90 12.31KYFA9908/E1 2.9 55.5 100 96 99 98 98 97 97 4.25 3.86 1.87 1.16 1.09 4.12 12.23KYFA9905/E2 3.1 56.0 100 99 99 98 99 98 98 4.29 3.60 1.34 1.44 1.09 3.87 11.75KYFA0901 2.4 54.5 100 92 94 95 97 97 97 3.82 3.59 1.98 1.03 1.07 4.07 11.49KYFA9732EF 2.5 57.0 100 99 100 100 100 100 100 4.24 3.63 1.50 1.11 0.95 3.56 11.43KYFA9732/E1 3.3 54.8 100 100 100 100 99 99 99 4.56 3.35 1.51 0.93 0.90 3.34 11.25KYFA9905/E1 3.5 53.0 100 99 100 100 100 100 100 4.13 3.41 1.37 1.03 0.95 3.36 10.90KYFA9913/E1 2.9 57.5 100 97 96 95 95 91 91 3.99 2.89 1.16 1.06 0.93 3.16 10.03

Mean 2.8 55.5 100 97 98 98 98 98 98 4.46 3.91 1.82 1.23 1.17 4.22 12.60CV,% 26.0 5.9 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 20.22 17.16 21.15 23.08 24.58 20.07 16.46LSD,0.05 1.0 4.6 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 1.27 0.95 0.54 0.40 0.40 1.20 2.93



endophyte. E1 through E5 are non-toxic endophytes. The other varieties do not contain an endophyte.*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

6

Table 9. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue varieties sown September 14, 2011, at Lexington, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Oct 11, 2011

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 2012 2013 2-year

TotalApr 25 May 23 Oct 11 Mar 21 Oct 24 Mar 22 Oct 22 Total May 23 Jun 28 Aug 5 Oct 22 TotalCommercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseBarOptimaPLUS E34 4.8 45.0 59.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.03 2.56 1.22 0.79 1.08 5.65 8.68*JesupMaxQ 4.6 54.0 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.21 2.16 1.13 0.85 1.07 5.20 8.41*Martin2/647 4.0 53.5 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.73 2.54 1.00 0.86 1.08 5.48 8.21*DuraMaxGOLD 5.0 54.0 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.20 2.03 1.06 0.81 0.99 4.88 8.08*Bronson 4.6 54.0 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.10 2.10 1.06 0.77 1.04 4.98 8.08*Tower/647 5.0 45.0 58.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.07 2.00 1.10 0.73 1.10 4.93 7.99*BarElite 5.0 45.0 58.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.81 2.24 1.06 0.71 1.02 5.04 7.85*Jesup EF 4.8 55.5 61.5 100 100 100 100 100 2.77 2.15 1.01 0.87 0.95 4.97 7.74Enhance 4.0 45.0 59.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.95 1.79 1.00 0.89 1.07 4.75 7.70Cajun II 4.6 54.0 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.73 1.92 0.95 0.90 1.10 4.88 7.60Kentucky 32 4.3 56.0 61.5 100 100 100 100 100 2.97 1.90 1.05 0.75 0.92 4.62 7.58KY31+3 5.0 46.3 58.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.75 1.87 1.21 0.72 1.00 4.80 7.55HyMark 5.0 52.5 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.58 1.67 1.09 0.82 1.08 4.66 7.24Select 4.8 53.5 61.5 100 100 100 100 100 2.70 1.86 0.98 0.72 0.93 4.49 7.19Experimental VarietiesAGRFA 148 5.0 52.0 61.5 100 100 100 100 100 3.32 2.44 1.10 0.84 1.19 5.57 8.89*NFTF 1411 4.9 55.0 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.02 2.50 1.12 0.87 1.16 5.65 8.68*PPG-FTF 101 4.5 54.5 61.5 100 100 100 100 100 3.09 1.91 1.18 0.87 1.36 5.32 8.42*KYFA0804 4.8 57.0 60.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.32 1.80 1.25 0.84 1.19 5.08 8.40*IS-FTF 53/HAPPE 4.3 49.3 59.5 100 100 100 100 100 3.07 2.02 1.24 0.73 1.03 5.02 8.09*KY31-3 5.0 48.0 61.0 100 100 100 100 100 3.00 1.98 1.10 0.82 1.05 4.94 7.94*B-11.BC 4.6 53.5 62.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.90 2.27 1.09 0.75 0.92 5.03 7.93*KYFA0905 4.6 45.0 58.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.61 2.06 0.99 0.84 1.12 5.02 7.64IS-FTF 54 3.9 57.5 61.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.76 2.03 1.09 0.72 0.99 4.84 7.60XLFTF 4.5 49.8 60.5 100 100 100 100 100 2.79 1.70 1.01 0.81 1.05 4.57 7.36KYFA0902 4.6 45.0 58.0 100 100 100 100 100 2.48 1.74 0.93 0.66 0.88 4.22 6.70

Mean 4.6 51.2 60.5 100 100 100 100 100 2.92 2.05 1.08 0.80 1.06 4.98 7.90CV,% 7.7 3.8 1.8 0 0 0 0 0 13.07 15.13 10.77 15.86 15.53 9.58 9.39LSD,0.05 0.5 2.7 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0.54 0.44 0.16 0.18 0.23 0.67 1.05


beginning of pollen shed. See Table 4 for complete scale.3 KY31- is the variety KY31 from which the toxic endophyte has been removed. KY31+ contains the toxic endophyte. Jesup MaxQ contains a non-toxic endophyte.

BarOptima PLUS E34 contains a beneficial endophyte. HAPPE, GOLD and 647 are non-toxic endophytes. The other varieties do not contain an endophyte.*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

centages over 100 yielded better than average and varieties with percentages less than 100 yielded lower than average. Direct, statistical comparisons of variet-ies cannot be made using the table 15 and 17 summaries, but these comparisons do help to identify varieties for further consideration. Varieties that have per-formed better than average over many years and at several locations have very stable performance, while others may have performed very well in wet years or on particular soil types. These details may influence variety choice, and the information can be found in the yearly reports. See the footnotes in tables 15 and 17 to determine to which yearly report to refer.

Summary Selecting a good variety of tall fescue and bromegrass is an important first step in establishing a productive stand of grass. Proper management, beginning with seedbed preparation and continuing throughout the life of the stand, is neces-sary for even the highest-yielding variety to produce to its genetic potential. The following is a list of University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension publi-cations related to tall fescue management available from your county Extension office and are listed in the “Publications” section of the UK Forage Web site, www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage:

y Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations (AGR-1)

y Grain and Forage Crop Guide for Ken-tucky (AGR-18)

y Tall Fescue (AGR-59) y Establishing Forage Crops (AGR-64) y Tall Fescue in Kentucky (AGR-108) y Forage Identification and Use Guide

(AGR-175) y Rotational Grazing (ID-143)

About the AuthorsG.L. Olson is a research specialist and S.R. Smith and G.D. Lacefield are Exten-sion professors in Forages. T.D. Phillips is an associated professor in Tall Fescue Breeding, and D.C. Ditsch is an Extension professor in Feed Production.

7

Table 10. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue and festulolium (FL) varieties sown September 7, 2012 at Lexington, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Oct 16, 2012

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2013 2012 2013 2013

May 20 Oct 16 Mar 20 Oct 22 May 20 Jun 28 Aug 6 Oct 22 TotalCommercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseBarOptimaPLUS E34 2.4 56.0 89 91 92 3.62 1.94 1.30 1.67 8.53*Jesup EF 2.5 58.0 95 97 96 3.91 1.85 1.27 1.47 8.51*Select 2.9 57.0 94 95 96 3.99 1.61 1.21 1.34 8.14*KY31+3 4.3 56.0 99 99 99 3.90 1.74 1.16 1.33 8.13*Tuscany II 3.3 57.0 97 95 96 3.85 1.74 1.09 1.41 8.08*Jesup MaxQ 1.8 57.5 94 95 96 3.71 1.72 1.15 1.32 7.90*Flourish 2.0 56.5 91 92 93 3.40 1.73 1.14 1.39 7.66Kentucky 32 2.0 58.5 92 92 92 3.44 1.72 1.19 1.30 7.65Estancia 3.4 56.0 96 97 97 3.33 1.68 1.16 1.43 7.60Bronson 2.9 56.5 93 97 97 3.08 1.62 1.28 1.56 7.54Bull 2.1 58.5 91 91 92 3.09 1.74 1.27 1.43 7.53Cowgirl 2.6 57.5 96 96 96 3.23 1.68 1.08 1.27 7.25Fojtan(FL) 2.5 56.5 90 90 92 3.41 1.49 0.96 1.22 7.08Mahulena(FL) 1.9 59.5 84 88 91 2.91 1.58 1.04 1.11 6.65Experimental VarietiesKYFA0906 3.4 56.0 95 97 96 3.96 1.78 1.19 1.50 8.43*IS-FTF 70 3.1 56.0 96 96 97 3.74 1.78 1.26 1.53 8.32*TF 0401 2.9 58.0 95 96 96 3.52 1.92 1.24 1.41 8.09*KYFA0905 2.6 56.5 92 92 94 3.71 1.81 1.12 1.39 8.03*PPG-FTF 101 2.6 58.5 93 93 94 3.54 1.78 1.27 1.41 8.00*PPG-FTF 104 2.0 56.0 89 90 93 3.43 1.81 1.25 1.48 7.97*KYFA0901 3.5 56.5 96 96 96 3.39 1.68 1.22 1.37 7.65KY31-3 3.5 56.5 99 99 99 3.64 1.61 1.13 1.25 7.63

Mean 2.7 57.0 93 94 95 3.54 1.73 1.18 1.39 7.84CV,% 20.7 2.1 3 3 2 9.50 11.14 12.29 12.47 7.37LSD,0.05 0.8 1.7 4 4 3 0.47 0.27 0.21 0.24 0.82

1 Vigor score based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth.2 Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 =

complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed. See Table 3 for complete scale.3 KY 31- is the variety KY31 from which the toxic endophyte has been removed. Jesup MaxQ and Estancia contain a non-toxic

endophyte. BarOptima PLUS E34 contains a beneficial endophyte. KY31+ contains the toxic endophyte. The other fescue varieties in this test do not contain an endophyte.

*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

8

Table 11. Dry matter yields, seedling vigor, maturity and stand persistence of tall fescue and festulolium (FL) varieties sown September 12, 2012, at Princeton, Kentucky.

Variety

SeedlingVigor1

Oct 29, 2012

Maturity2 Percent Stand Yield (tons/acre)2013 2012 2013 2013

May 14 Oct 29 Mar 19 Oct 25 May 14 Jun 19 Aug 14 Oct 25 TotalCommercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseTuscany II 3.6 56.5 100 100 100 3.91 1.60 0.86 1.40 7.78*Mahulena(FL) 2.5 59.0 100 100 100 3.77 1.68 0.80 1.47 7.72*Flourish 2.3 55.0 97 99 99 3.52 1.77 0.94 1.44 7.66*Jesup MaxQ 3.6 57.5 100 100 100 3.77 1.58 0.75 1.34 7.44*BarOptima PLUS E34 3.0 53.5 100 100 100 3.55 1.56 0.75 1.51 7.37KY31+3 5.0 54.5 100 100 100 3.50 1.67 0.73 1.47 7.37Select 3.1 56.5 99 100 100 3.81 1.41 0.77 1.32 7.31Jesup EF 4.0 57.5 100 100 100 3.69 1.40 0.68 1.48 7.25Kentucky 32 2.3 57.0 99 99 99 3.71 1.53 0.76 1.23 7.23Bull 3.4 58.0 99 100 100 3.26 1.66 0.79 1.50 7.21Estancia 4.6 57.5 100 100 100 3.57 1.44 0.78 1.42 7.21Fojtan(FL) 2.5 53.5 100 100 100 3.60 1.54 0.73 1.30 7.17Cowgirl 3.0 56.5 100 100 100 3.36 1.43 0.74 1.51 7.03Bronson 3.4 56.5 100 100 100 3.22 1.40 0.71 1.26 6.59Experimental VarietiesTF 0401 3.3 57.0 100 100 100 3.84 1.66 0.94 1.77 8.22*IS-FTF 70 2.8 53.0 100 100 100 3.83 1.59 0.86 1.42 7.70*KY31-3 4.6 55.5 100 100 100 3.73 1.62 0.86 1.48 7.70*PPG-FTF 101 2.8 57.5 100 100 100 3.68 1.59 0.83 1.40 7.49*KYFA0905 3.8 54.5 100 100 100 3.44 1.64 0.73 1.57 7.38*KYFA0906 4.1 54.5 100 100 100 3.59 1.63 0.73 1.40 7.35KYFA0901 3.8 57.0 100 100 100 3.35 1.59 0.79 1.55 7.28PPG-FTF 104 2.5 55.0 99 99 99 3.49 1.54 0.70 1.40 7.13

Mean 3.4 56.0 100 100 100 3.60 1.57 0.78 1.44 7.39CV,% 18.7 2.0 1 0 0 8.94 9.38 16.16 14.17 7.93LSD,0.05 0.9 1.6 2 1 1 0.45 0.21 0.18 0.29 0.82

1 Vigor score based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth.2 Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 =

complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed. See Table 3 for complete scale.3 KY 31- is the variety KY31 from which the toxic endophyte has been removed. Jesup MaxQ and Estancia contain a non-toxic

endophyte. BarOptima PLUS E34 contains a beneficial endophyte. KY31+ contains the toxic endophyte. The other fescue varieties in this test do not contain an endophyte.

*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

9

Tabl

e 12

. Dry

mat

ter y

ield

s, se

edlin

g vi

gor,

mat

urity

and

stan

d pe

rsis

tenc

e of

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meg

rass

var

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s sow

n Se

ptem

ber 6

, 201

0, a

t Lex

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entu

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tyTy

pe

Seed

ling

Vigo

r1

Oct

14,

20

10

Mat

urity

2Pe

rcen

t Sta

ndYi

eld (to

ns/acre)

2011

2012

2013

2010

2011

2012

2013

2011

2012

2013

3-ye

arTo

tal

May

13

Jun

20Ap

r 30

Jun

7M

ay 2

2O

ct 1

4M

ar 1

7N

ov 7

Mar

21

Oct

23

Mar

22

Oct

21

Tota

lTo

tal

May

22

Jun

28Au

g 5

Oct

21

Tota

lCo

mm

erci

al V

arie

ties—

Avai

labl

e fo

r Far

m U

seM

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thm

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w2.

562

.029

.056

.558

.060

.070

7089

9094

9494

4.19

2.97

3.09

0.95

0.73

0.91

5.69

12.8

5*D

oina

smoo

th3.

855

.529

.054

.036

.358

.090

8888

9194

9293

3.97

2.35

3.06

0.89

0.68

0.76

5.39

11.7

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tm

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w2.

360

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.056

.036

.360

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8593

9292

9392

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2.55

2.59

1.09

0.59

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5.18

11.3

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855

.029

.052

.558

.058

.086

8792

9294

9492

3.67

1.92

2.91

0.86

0.64

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5.30

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9096

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7770

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991.

250.

690.

330.

172.

439.

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Kno

wle

shy

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2.8

55.0

60.5

55.5

58.0

58.5

8681

9189

9191

892.

961.

862.

270.

700.

560.

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84Ex

perim

enta

l Var

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sBA

R Bc

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559

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.076

7491

9093

9192

4.40

2.75

2.90

0.89

0.65

0.87

5.32

12.4

7*BA

R Bi

F1GR

Lsm

ooth

4.5

55.0

29.0

53.0

36.3

58.0

9394

9395

9595

953.

912.

523.

340.

920.

730.

905.

8912

.32*

KYBI

0101

smoo

th−

56.5

29.0

53.0

29.0

57.5

610

2935

4950

482.

591.

842.

140.

790.

620.

504.

058.

48BA

RPAL

16hy

brid

−57

.560

.559

.029

.059

.06

625

2833

3026

2.14

1.95

0.43

0.30

0.42

0.63

1.78

5.87

Mea

n3.

356

.736

.953

.446

.158

.771

7179

8082

8180

3.59

2.28

2.47

0.83

0.60

0.71

4.60

10.4

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,%22

.72.

52.

32.

519

.61.

810

117

513

1415

21.9

017

.96

24.5

319

.74

21.6

634

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19.9

416

.35

LSD,

0.05

1.1

2.1

1.2

1.2

13.0

1.6

1112

86

1616

171.

140.

590.

870.

240.

190.

351.

372.

471

Vigo

r sco

re b

ased

on

a sc

ale

of 1

to 5

with

5 b

eing

the

mos

t vig

orou

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dlin

g gr

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Mat

urity

ratin

g sc

ale:

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= fla

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e, 4

5 =

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= be

ginn

ing

of in

flore

scen

ce e

mer

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e, 5

8 =

com

plet

e em

erge

nce

of in

flore

scen

ce, 6

2 =

begi

nnin

g of

pol

len

shed

. See

Tabl

e 4

for c

ompl

ete

scal

e.*N

ot si

gnifi

cant

ly d

iffer

ent f

rom

the

high

est n

umer

ical

val

ue in

the

colu

mn,

bas

ed o

n th

e 0.

05 L

SD.

Tabl

e 13

. Dry

mat

ter y

ield

s, se

edlin

g vi

gor,

mat

urity

and

stan

d pe

rsis

tenc

e of

bro

meg

rass

var

ietie

s sow

n Se

ptem

ber 7

, 201

2,

at L

exin

gton

, Ken

tuck

y.

Varie

tyTy

pe

Seed

ling

Vigo

r1

Oct

16,

20

12

Mat

urity

2Pe

rcen

t Sta

ndYi

eld (to

ns/acre)

2013

2012

2013

2013

May

20

Oct

16

Mar

20

Oct

22

May

20

Jun

28Au

g 6

Oct

24

Tota

lCo

mm

erci

al V

arie

ties—

Avai

labl

e fo

r Far

m U

seM

acbe

thm

eado

w2.

662

.094

9192

2.76

0.92

0.83

1.35

5.86

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eet

mea

dow

1.7

62.0

7271

872.

530.

901.

021.

215.

66*

AC K

now

les

hybr

id2.

560

.595

8792

2.57

0.83

0.77

1.39

5.56

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aksm

ooth

4.0

58.0

9186

862.

500.

990.

760.

935.

18*

Carlt

onsm

ooth

3.3

56.0

9275

861.

980.

860.

750.

874.

46Ex

perim

enta

l Var

ietie

sBA

RBcF

1FRR

Lm

eado

w3.

861

.598

9494

2.74

1.01

0.95

1.20

5.90

*BA

RBiF

1GRL

smoo

th4.

557

.599

9898

2.83

0.97

0.78

1.09

5.67

*M

SB−

3.9

56.5

9692

932.

580.

830.

881.

045.

32*

Mea

n3.

359

.393

8791

2.56

0.91

0.84

1.14

5.46

CV,%

26.0

1.5

710

514

.51

15.8

916

.83

23.2

613

.86

LSD,

0.05

1.3

1.3

1012

70.

550.

220.

210.

391.

121

Vigo

r sco

re b

ased

on

a sc

ale

of 1

to 5

with

5 b

eing

the

mos

t vig

orou

s see

dlin

g gr

owth

.2

Mat

urity

ratin

g sc

ale:

37

= fla

g le

af e

mer

genc

e, 4

5 =

boot

swol

len,

50

= be

ginn

ing

of in

flore

scen

ce e

mer

genc

e, 5

8 =

com

plet

e em

erge

nce

of in

flore

scen

ce, 6

2 =

begi

nnin

g of

pol

len

shed

. See

Tabl

e 4

for c

ompl

ete

scal

e.*N

ot si

gnifi

cant

ly d

iffer

ent f

rom

the

high

est n

umer

ical

val

ue in

the

colu

mn,

bas

ed o

n th

e 0.

05 L

SD.

10

Table 14. Performance of tall fescue varieties across years and locations.

Variety Proprietor/KY Distributor

Lexington Princeton Quicksand20101 2011 2012 2010 2012 2010

112 12 13 12 13 13 11 12 13 11 12 13 13 11 12 13Commercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseBarElite Barenbrug USA * * x3 x xBarOptima PLUS E34 Barenbrug USA * * * x x * xBronson Ampac Seed * * x x * * xBull Caudill seed x xCajun II Smith Seed Services x x * * xCowgirl PureSeed x x x * xDuraMax GOLD DLF International Seeds * xEnhance Allied Seed * xEstancia Mountain View Seeds x xFlourish Allied Seed x *Goliath Ampac Seed x * xHyMark Fraser Seeds x xKentucky 32 Oregro Seeds * x x * x x xKY31+4 Ky Agric. Exp. Station/Public x * * x x * * * * * * * x * * *Jesup EF Pennington Seed x x * * * * xJesup MaxQ Pennington Seed * * * * * * *Martin 2 647 DLF International Seeds x *Select FFR/Southern States x x * x x * xTower 647 DLF International Seeds * xTuscany II Seed Research of Oregon * *Experimental VarietiesAGRFA 148 AgResearch * *AgR1502 AgResearch x x * * x * * * *AgR1521 AgResearch x * * x x * * * *B-11.BC Ampac Seed * *IS FTF 53 HAPPE DLF International Seeds * *IS FTF 54 DLF International Seeds * xIS-FTF 70 DLF International Seeds * *KY31-4 KY Agric. Exp. Station * * * * x x * * x * * * * * * *KYFA0601 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * x x * * * *KYFA0701 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * * x * * x xKYFA0804 KY Agric. Exp. Station * *KYFA0901 KY Agric. Exp. Station x x x x x x * x x x xKYFA0902 KY Agric. Exp. Station x xKYFA0905 KY Agric. Exp. Station x * * *KYFA0906 KY Agric. Exp. Station * xKYFA9732 EF KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x * x x * x xKYFA9732/E1 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * * * x * x xKYFA9732/E2 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x * x x * x xKYFA9732/E5 KY Agric. Exp. Station * * * * * * * * *KYFA9905 EF KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * x x * * x xKYFA9905/E1 KY Agric. Exp. Station x x * x x * * x xKYFA9905/E2 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x * x x * x xKYFA9905/E5 KY Agric. Exp. Station x x * * x * * * *KYFA9908 EF KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x * x x * x *KYFA9908/E1 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * * x x * x xKYFA9908/E3 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * * * * x x *KYFA9908/E4 KY Agric. Exp. Statiion * x * x * * * x *KYFA9908/E5 KY Agric. Exp. Station x * * * * x * x *KYFA9913 EF KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * x x * * x *KYFA9913/E1 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x x * x x x xKYFA9913/E2 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x x * x * * x *KYFA9913/E5 KY Agric. Exp. Station * x * * * x * * *NFTF 1411 Noble Foundatiion * *PPG-FTF 101 Mountain View Seeds * * * *PPG-FTF 104 Mountain View Seeds * xRAD-ERF61 Radix Research, Inc. * * *RAD-ERF62 Radix Research, Inc. * * *TF 0401 Brett Young * *TF 0402 FFR/Southern States * * *XLFTF ProSeeds Marketing * x

1 Establishment year2 Harvest year.3 x in the box indicates the variety was in the test but yielded significantly less than the top yielding variety in the test. Open boxes indicate the variety was not in the

test.4 KY31- is the variety KY31 from which the toxic endophyte has been removed. KY31+ contains the toxic endophyte. Jesup MaxQ, Estancia, AgR1502 and AgR1521

contain a non-toxic endophyte. BarOptima PLUS E34 contains a beneficial endophyte. E1 through E5, AR584, HAPPE, GOLD and 647 are non-toxic endophytes. The other varieties do not contain an endophyte.

*Not significantly different from the highest yielding variety in the test.

11

Tabl

e 15

. Sum

mar

y of

Ken

tuck

y ta

ll fe

scue

yie

ld tr

ials

199

9-20

13 (y

ield

show

n as

a p

erce

ntag

e of

the

mea

n of

the

com

mer

cial

var

ietie

s in

the

tria

l).

Varie

tyPr

oprie

tor

Lexi

ngto

nPr

ince

ton

Qui

cksa

ndM

ean3

(#trials)

991,

201

0305

0709

1198

0002

0406

0810

9901

0305

2-yr

43-

yr2-

yr3-

yr3-

yr3-

yr2-

yr2-

yr2-

yr3-

yr3-

yr3-

yr3-

yr3-

yr2-

yr2-

yr2-

yr4-

yrAt

las

ProS

eeds

Mar

ketin

g10

789

98(2

)At

las S

elec

tPr

oSee

ds M

arke

ting

96–

April

iaPr

oSee

ds M

arke

ting

94–

BarE

lite

Bare

nbru

g US

A99

100

9297

(3)

Baria

neBa

renb

rug

USA

8799

9594

(3)

Baro

lex

Bare

nbru

g US

A90

–Ba

rOpt

ima

PLUS

E34

Bare

nbru

g US

A12

210

111

199

108(

4)BA

R 9

TMPO

Bare

nbru

g US

A96

9797

(2)

Bron

son

Ampa

c Se

ed88

100

105

103

101

102

100(

6)Bu

llIm

prov

ed F

orag

es98

102

102

104

9710

1(5)

Caju

n II

Smith

See

d Se

rvic

es97

101

99(2

)Ca

rmin

eD

LF In

tern

atio

nal

9997

98(2

)Co

wgi

rlRo

se-A

griS

eeds

102

100

100(

2)D

LF-B

DLF

Inte

rnat

iona

l96

–D

uraM

ax G

OLD

DLF

Inte

rnat

iona

l10

310

610

5(2)

Enha

nce

Allie

d Se

ed98

107

103(

2)Es

tanc

ia/A

rkSh

ield

Mou

ntai

n Vi

ew S

eeds

102

101

102(

2)Fe

stiv

alPi

ckse

ed W

est

107

102

107

105(

3)Fu

ego

Adva

nta

Seed

s99

–Go

liath

Ampa

c Se

ed10

099

100(

2)Ho

edow

nD

LF In

tern

atio

nal

104

106

105(

2)H

yMar

kFr

aser

See

ds92

102

97(2

)Je

sup

EFPe

nnin

gton

See

d99

106

103

103(

3)Je

sup

Max

QPe

nnin

gton

See

d98

104

110

107

9495

100

100

102

101(

9)Jo

hnst

one

ProS

eeds

Mar

ketin

g95

108

9599

(3)

KEN

HYKY

Agr

ic E

xp S

ta.

89–

Kent

ucky

32

Ore

gro

Seed

s97

9994

97(3

)Ko

kane

eAm

pac

Seed

8986

88(2

)KY

31+5

KY A

gric

Exp

Sta

.10

211

811

210

810

510

296

122

108

104

104

9311

210

712

498

110

107(

17)

Max

imiz

eTu

rf-S

eed

9695

105

9397

(4)

Mar

tin2/

647

DLF

Inte

rnat

iona

l10

5–

Nan

ryo

Jap.

Gra

ssla

nd F

orag

eSee

d/

USDA

-ARS

, El R

eno,

OK

99–

Nor

iaPr

oSee

ds M

arke

ting

100

–RA

D-E

RF50

Radi

x Re

sear

ch, I

nc.

113

–Re

solu

teAm

pac

Seed

9065

78(2

)Sa

vory

DLF

Inte

rnat

iona

l92

–Se

ine

Adva

nta

Seed

s99

9698

(2)

Sele

ctFF

R/So

u. S

t.10

610

694

9910

298

9210

510

597

105

102

105

9910

711

210

291

102(

18)

Stoc

kman

Seed

Res

earc

h of

OR

108

101

9810

510

3(4)

Texo

ma

Max

Q II

Penn

ingt

on S

eed

95–

TF02

03G

Seed

Res

earc

h of

OR

90–

TF33

Bare

nbru

g US

A70

–To

wer

/647

DLF

Inte

rnat

iona

l10

2–

Tusc

any

Fora

ge G

enet

ics

112

–Tu

scan

y II

Seed

Res

earc

h of

OR

98–

Vulc

anIn

tern

atio

nal S

eeds

97–

5CAN

Bret

t You

ng86

–1

Year

tria

l was

est

ablis

hed.

2 Us

e th

is su

mm

ary

tabl

e as

a g

uide

in m

akin

g va

riety

dec

ision

s, bu

t ref

er to

spec

ific

year

ly re

port

s to

dete

rmin

e st

atist

ical

diff

eren

ces i

n fo

rage

yie

ld b

etw

een

varie

ties.

To fi

nd a

ctua

l yie

lds,

look

in th

e ye

arly

repo

rt fo

r the

fina

l ye

ar o

f eac

h sp

ecifi

c tr

ial.

For e

xam

ple,

the

Lexi

ngto

n tr

ial p

lant

ed in

199

9 w

as h

arve

sted

two

year

s, so

the

final

repo

rt w

ould

be “

2001

Tall

Fesc

ue R

epor

t” ar

chiv

ed in

the

KY F

orag

e W

eb si

te a

t ww

w.u

ky.e

du/A

g/Fo

rage

.3

Mea

n on

ly p

rese

nted

whe

n re

spec

tive

varie

ty w

as in

clud

ed in

two

or m

ore

tria

ls.4

Num

ber o

f yea

rs o

f dat

a.5

KY31

+ co

ntai

ns th

e to

xic

endo

phyt

e. Je

sup

Max

Q, Te

xom

a M

axQ

II, D

uraM

ax G

OLD

, Mar

tin2/

647,

Tow

er/6

47 a

nd E

stan

cia/

Arks

hiel

d co

ntai

n a

non-

toxi

c en

doph

yte.

Bar

Opt

ima

PLUS

E34

cont

ains

a b

enefi

cial

end

ophy

te. T

he

othe

r fes

cue

varie

ties i

n th

is ta

ble

do n

ot co

ntai

n an

end

ophy

te.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization.11-2013

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

Table 17. Summary of Kentucky bromegrass yield trials 2006-2013 (yield shown as a percentage of the mean of the commercial varieties in the trial.)

Variety TypeProprietor/KY Distributor

Lexington20061,2 2008 2010 Mean3

(#trials)4-yr4 3-yr 3-yrAC Knowles hybrid − 85 82 84(2)Bigfoot hybrid Grassland Oregon 108 116 105 110(3)Canterbury mountain Barenbrug USA 79 −Doina smooth Barenbrug USA 114 108 111(2)Fleet meadow − 110 −Hakari Alaska Barenbrug USA 85 85 85(2)MacBeth meadow Cisco Seeds 136 119 128(2)Olga smooth Barenbrug USA 116 101 109(2()Peak smooth Allied Seed 97 −Persister prairie − 72 −RAD-BI29 smooth Columbia Seeds 96 86 91(2)

1 Year trial was established.2 Use this summary table as a guide in making variety decisions, but refer to specific yearly

reports to determine statistical differences in forage yield between varieties. To find actual yields, look in the yearly report for the final year of each specific trial. For example, the Lexington trial planted in 2006 was harvested 4 years, so the final report would be “2009 Tall Fescue and Brome Report” archived in the KY Forage Web site at www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.

3 Mean only presented when respective variety was included in two or more trials.4 Number of years of data

Table 16. Performance of bromegrass varieties at Lexington, Kentucky.

Variety TypeProprietor/KY Distributor

20101 201220112 2012 2013 2013

Commercial Varieties—Available for Farm UseAC Knowles hybrid − x3 x x *Bigfoot hybrid Grassland Oregon x * *Carlton smooth Pickseed USA xDoina smooth Barenbrug USA * x *Fleet meadow − *Hakari Alaska Barenbrug USA * x xMacBeth meadow Cisco Seeds * * * *Olga smooth Barenbrug USA x x *Peak smooth Allied seed *Experimental VarietiesBAR BcF1FRRL meadow Barenbrug USA * * * *BAR BiF1GRL smooth Barenbrug USA * * * *BAR PAL 16 hybrid Barenbrug USA x x xKYBI0101 smooth KY Agric. Exp. Station x x xMSB − Pickseed USA *

1 Establishment year.2 Harvest year.3 x in the box indicates the variety was in the test but yielded significantly less than the top

yielding variety in the test. Open boxes indicate the variety was not in the test.*Not significantly different from the highest yielding variety in the test.

Documents

PR-663: 2013 Tall Fescue and Bromegrass Report